Reservations
by crazysockmonkeys
Summary: Remember in "The Late Dr. Crane" when Niles saw that Mel had a son? Well, here he is.


Honestly, I didn't ever think my own mother would get married before I did. My parents divorced when I was a child, and my mother never seemed interested in dating or even marriage. I won't say there was never anyone else. There have been a few, all the same type as Mom and me, rich, well bred and sophisticated. Some jerks, some nice. It always seemed to me that Mom didn't want to get married again, considering her thriving practice and confident manner.

Then one day, out of the blue, she calls me with this news about how she has a new boyfriend and how sensitive and kind he is towards her. I've heard it before, and I figure he'll be like all the rest, it'll last for about two months and then it will be over and I'll never hear about the guy again.

But every time she called me or I called her, she brought him up again. Niles this and Niles that, over and over again. She told me about how he was a psychiatrist and he had a large apartment in a prestigious building. She talked the gifts he gave her and the places he took her.

"Benjamin, he's just wonderful and I think you ought to meet him," she said to me one day.

"So, you want me to come to Seattle?"

"No, no, we'll make the drive to Portland. I want you to make reservations for the three of us at _Le Singe de Chaussette, _and get them on the roof, please. I know you can pull some strings for us with the owner. You did use to date her, didn't you?"

"Yes, Mom, just last year."

"Wonderful. We'll come next Wednesday. I'll be anxious to see you."

"You too, Mom."

I hung up and took care of things at the restaurant like she wanted, and then things were normal until that Wednesday. I wore my black suit with the red tie she gave me, and the second I finished tying it the doorbell rang.

Opening the door, I looked this Niles Crane over from head to toe and he seemed well enough off to me. We were wearing similar clothing and he looked dignified and gentlemanly. I shook his hand, introduced myself and invited my guests inside.

"Ben, you did make those reservations like I asked, correct?" Mom asked me.

"Yes, I did and as you can see it's a lovely day to eat on the roof. Dr. Crane, you really are in for a delectable meal, I can assure you."

Mom smiled. "Oh please Ben, you don't have to call him Dr. Crane. Call him Niles, I want you two to be close."

"Alright then."

"Well, yes, I've already heard from Mel that this restaurant is delicious, and thank you for getting us the reservations," he said.

"You're welcome, Niles."

This man was obviously polite; he just thanked me for getting the table. A few of her boyfriends barely acknowledged my existence, but there was something about the way he acted towards Mom, something not quite right. I didn't know what it was, but it was almost as if he was holding back on her, not giving her all of his love like she was so obviously giving him hers. I decided that it was most likely my imagination and that I would not bring it up to Mom. She would most likely tell me that I was too young and I didn't know what I was talking about, that I had never truly been in love. I had heard it all before.

Lunch, I would say, was a success. The food was fabulous as always and I enjoyed the conversations we had though I still thought something was off with Niles. I knew he loved her, but there was something else about him that pointed me somewhere in the other direction.

Mom called me later and asked me what I thought about her boyfriend. I told her the truth about how I thought he was polite and courteous. Of course, she agreed.

"I've been nudging him toward the idea of moving in together, but he hasn't budged. He says he needs time. I have to respect that, I suppose."

"Of course."

"Although, I do wonder why he hasn't agreed to it yet. He is recently divorced, after all, but things are happening fast and I don't know if he's keeping up."

I then thought about what I had seen earlier, that look in his eyes. It matched up with what she was saying, but I still decided not to mention it.

Things were normal for a while after that. I didn't hear from Mom for over two weeks.

When she did call, it was in the middle of the night and I was half asleep. The ring jerked me awake and I grabbed the receiver on my nightstand.

"Ben, I have some very exciting news!"

"What is it, Mom?" I asked, trying to sound as awake as I possibly could.

"Niles and I went away on a weekend trip, and we got married!"

Her words stuck in my head for a moment and I had no idea what to say to her. My mom...remarried? Somehow those two things wouldn't fit together.

"That's great! I'm happy for you guys," I said.

"I'm sorry to call you at such a late hour, but I couldn't wait to tell you."

"It's fine, Mom."

"I just wanted you to know, I won't be able to get in touch with you for awhile. We're involved in another wedding right now, and of course, the honeymoon."

I expected as much until she called me again four days later.

"Mom?" I answered. "What's going on, I thought you'd be on your honeymoon by now."

"There's not going to be a honeymoon, Benjamin."

"What?"

"Niles has left me for some cheap little British maid."

Again, I was speechless. A spark of anger was thrown inside of me and I couldn't say anything.

She went on. "He claims that he's been in love with her ever since he met her seven years ago. I'm getting him back, though. He's not getting away with this without paying."

I couldn't believe he would have the audacity to marry her while still being in love with someone else and then leave her. My grip around the phone tightened in anger with the man.

"Mom, I am so, so sorry. I'll try to make it up to Seattle in a few days."

"Thank you."

She hung up, and I slammed down the phone.

I got to my feet and began to pace, cracking my knuckles and trying to calm myself down. It didn't work. Forcing myself onto the couch, I lay down and closed my eyes, getting myself to relax. I knew what I had to do.

That weekend I packed a bag and began to drive to Seattle and began to think of what I would say to that jerk Dr. Niles Crane once I got my hands on him. It wouldn't be pretty.

I'm usually a calm, reasonable sort of person, but not when I get angry. I suppose I'm like Mom in that way. When I'm angry, you'll know.

Pulling into the parking lot of his office building, I slammed my car door and couldn't resist running inside. Once I reached his office, I threw my palms on the desk and scared his poor secretary half to death.

Breathing and calming down, I looked at her and asked, "Is he seeing any patients right now?"

"No, but-"

"I just need to talk to him. It'll only take a minute."

"Alright, but..."

I couldn't hear the rest of what she said over the sound of the door to his office opening and slamming behind me.

He was sitting at his desk when he looked up and saw me. "Benjamin," he said, in a surprised tone.

"Did you leave my mother?" I yelled, letting my anger fuel me.

He sighed, and just as he was about to speak I cut him off. "Did you marry her and then leave her for some English maid?"

Niles jumped up from his seat, saying firmly, "She's a physical therapist."

It was at that point that I completely lost control. "I don't care!" I screamed, and I walked over to him and grabbed his puny little arm. My hand was clenched in a fist and was ready to strike, until like from sort of dream I work up from my immense anger and realized what I was doing. I was squeezing his arm very tightly and Niles' face was cringing, ready to take the punch I wasn't going to throw. I loosened my hand and ran my fingers through my brown curly hair, trying to breathe again.

I saw a comfortable armchair and I sat down in it, putting my face in my hands and trying to get myself in a mood to talk instead of a mood to yell.

"Would you like some cool water?" Niles asked in a comforting, soothing voice.

I just nodded and he went out of his office and into the lobby, carrying a cone-shaped paper cup back in with him and closing the door.

Finishing the water in one large gulp, I gave the cup back to him and he threw it away. He then got the chair from behind his desk and pulled it up in front of the one I was sitting in.

"I can understand why you're angry," he said. "I would be too in your shoes."

I sighed and looked at the ground. "I don't understand why you married her when you were in love with someone else."

"Benjamin, I did love Mel."

"But not as much as your other woman, I suppose?"

He sighed and began to tell me the whole story, how he had fallen deeply in love with the other girl from the very first time he met her and had known her for seven years, but he had never been able to tell her how he felt. Suddenly she was engaged to another man, and she found out about his feelings and developed the same ones for him, and when he found out he dumped Mom and ran off with her.

It was still his fault then. If he hadn't been such a coward and had told her how he had felt in the first place, we wouldn't be in this situation.

"You should never have gotten married if you were still harboring feelings for someone else," I said flatly.

"Again, I understand your blatant hostility for me, but what would you have suggested I do? She was getting married, and there was no point in loving her any longer. But I loved Mel and we did have some good times together. There was no reason why we shouldn't have gotten married."

I suppose I got his angle at that point, but I wasn't done being angry.

We didn't say anything for a moment until we heard the door open.

"Niles?" I heard a British accent say, and I knew it was her right away. She was tall and pretty, with long light brown hair and kind, dark eyes. Somehow I knew she would never hurt anyone unless it was absolutely necessary.

He got up and went to her, and from the moment I looked into his eyes I saw it: what was missing from the way he looked at Mom. It was all there. I heard them whispering for a few moments after that.

"Niles, I'm sorry. Your secretary stepped out and I didn't know you had a patient."

"He's not a patient."

"Then who is he?"

"Mel's son."

"Oh dear."

She peered around Niles and looked at me, and for a moment we made eye contact.

"May I...?" She asked.

"I don't think that-"

But she didn't listen to him. She stepped out from behind Niles and looked at me head on. "I really am sorry about what happened," she said softly. I didn't say anything to her and she sighed.

"Please wait outside in the waiting room for me, my angel," Niles said.

"Alright." He kissed her cheek and she closed the door behind her.

Again, we didn't know what to say. I decided that perhaps it was just better to just leave.

"Goodbye, Dr. Crane," I said to him. "I have a mother to console, and it may take a while."

"Goodbye, Benjamin. I never got to tell you what a nice person you are, even in spite of all of this. I'm sorry we'll never get to spend more time together." He stuck out his hand.

I couldn't decide whether to shake it or not. Although I was still very angry, he had not fought with me and had been kind to me ever since I walked in his office. As a sign of gratitude, I took his hand and shook it.

As I walked into the waiting room, the woman was still there, and she smiled at me when I looked over at her. I ignored it and kept walking, even though she seemed like a nice person. It almost seemed as if staying mad was my only option at the moment.

I went over to Mom's and spent the afternoon with her. She complained about this and that but nevertheless thanked me for coming over. When evening arrived, I hugged her and said I'd be at the hotel down the street if she needed me, and that I would be back tomorrow.

That evening, I kept thinking about how angry I had gotten today. I wondered if I would ever forgive Niles Crane or the woman whose name I did not care to know.

Almost all of me said no except for a small ray of light inside me that said that with time I might be able to. However, I don't think I would ever stop being angry with him or her.

My stupid anger. I think I need to work on that.

* * *

**The End**


End file.
